1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a new and improved method and repair kit for restoring a vehicle lens. More particularly, this invention pertains to a method of removing contaminants from a polycarbonate vehicle lens and restoring the lens to a clear condition by at least partially dissolving an exterior surface of the lens with a lens restoration solution.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automobile headlights are designed to produce a certain level of illumination for night time driving. These headlights each have a lens surface that may deteriorate over time due to ultraviolet (UV) light exposure and oxidization. Upon manufacture, the lens surfaces are coated with a UV protectant to prevent such deterioration. However, over time the effects of weather, pollution, washing and/or other regular use generally remove some of the coating and UV light begins to attack and contaminate the lens surface. If left unchecked, the contaminants may render the lens surface discolored, translucent or otherwise sufficiently opaque to severely reduce effective illumination from the headlight.
One method of treating this problem is simply to replace the headlight. This is not an optimal solution due to the high cost of new headlights, or even of used headlights in the event they are available.
Alternatively, headlights may be physically cleaned so as to remove the contaminants that result from UV light and oxidization. Some form of abrasive action may be undertaken to physically remove the damaged outer surface of the lens. After such a step, the lens is still opaque, and it will be necessary to polish the remaining surface with some type of polishing compound that will allow the lens surface to again become transparent.
A great deal of time is required to perform the dual steps of physically removing the damaged outer surface and subsequently polishing the surface to a satisfactory condition. The process may be overly complicated in the detail required to properly carry it out, and in any event is not desirable in terms of required labor. In many cases, the user may spend hours on such an endeavor. Further, due to the length of time required, many of the headlight lenses do not get adequate reconditioning afterwards, leaving the user with a lens that still does not provide proper illumination. In addition, the abrasive action used to remove the damaged lens surface can leave lens surface distortions which may affect the direction in which the light is projected.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide a new method of removing contaminants from the lens surface of a vehicle headlight that is easier and less time consuming.
It is further desired to provide a new method for preserving a lens surface for a greater period of time after the cleaning process has been undertaken.
It is further desired to provide a new method for removing contaminants from a vehicle headlight so as to enhance the illumination provided by the headlight to that of a new headlight for a fraction of the cost of replacement.